Student Awards
The Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies aims to support students in their endeavors at the University of Kansas and beyond! Listed below are scholarships and aid specifically for CREES students. Award announcements are made in late Spring. Awards are subject to change based on funding availability.
If you would like to be considered for the George C. Jerkovich Award or the Jarosewycz Family Scholarship, please fill out this application by August 1, 2023. All other award application deadlines have passed for this year.
The options in the sidebar include opportunities that are not specific to CREES for which any student may apply.
For any inquiries about CREES scholarships and aid please contact us at crees@ku.edu. For general scholarship and aid questions, please contact the Financial Aid & Scholarship department at financialaid@ku.edu. For inquiries about FLAS please contact Dr. Esra Predolac at esrap@ku.edu.
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship
Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships provide financial support for undergraduate and graduate students to immerse themselves in the study of a critical language of their choice during the academic year or during the summer. CREES offers 8 FLAS-eligible languages including BCMS, Czech, Persian, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Slovene, and Ukrainian.
Clowes Russian Language Award- $5,000 per year
Thanks to the generosity of Edith W. Clowes, a former CREES Director and now the Brown-Forman Professor of the Humanities at the University of Virginia, and with the support of the Clowes Fund, the Clowes Russian Language Award supports graduate students in REES studying Russian.
Bramlage and Willcoxon Family Foundation Scholarship -$5,000 per year
Thanks to a generous gift from the Bramlage and Willcoxon Family Foundation, CREES provides an annual fellowship to a REES graduate student with strong connections to the state of Kansas.
Jarosewycz Family Scholarship- Up to $4,000 towards Ukrainian language classes
KU students are eligible to receive up to $4,000 towards Ukrainian language classes. Any KU student is eligible and all are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to current REES majors and minors, as well as REES M.A. students. No previous knowledge of a foreign language is required. Incoming Freshmen will be given special priority.
George C. Jerkovich Award- $1,250 per semester
Established by CREES donor George C. Jerkovich and awarded to both undergraduate and graduate students, this award is intended for those who have shown a strong dedication to the study of Southeast Europe and the Former Yugoslavia and/or the study of Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian language (BCMS).
Palij Family Fund- $150 of academic books per year
An annual award given to a REES student who shows a strong dedication to Ukrainian studies.
Norman E. Saul Travel Award- Funds vary on needs
Named after KU History Emeritus Professor Norman E. Saul, these travel awards support REES graduate and undergraduate students with professional development travel grants for research or to REES-related conferences. Awards are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. While any REES-related KU student is encouraged to apply, REES MA students receive priority status. You may receive multiple awards and you may apply more than once a year.
Laird Essay Contest
Undergraduate Award: $250 cash award; Graduate Award: $500 cash award and $75 worth of books (of their choice)All University of Kansas students actively pursuing interests in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies (REES) in any KU academic program are eligible to submit an essay of 2,000 words on any topic dealing with the region.
